Friday, May 21, 2010

Book Review: "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter"

By Beau

If you're dismissive of pop culture literature and the current trend to remake the classics like "Pride, Prejudice,  & Zombies" or "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters", that's fine.  I haven't read those either because I'm a hick and feel I have no approach to being able to read Jane Austin.  But Abe Lincoln and vampires?  Yes, please.

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" was my Kindle pick to keep me company on those flights to and from Florida where I'm staffed on the project.  I always pick in-flight books for their potential to be a fun, light read  while I'm chomping on gum and trying to ignore my very close neighbors.  AL:VH was everything I'd hoped it to be and more; it was actually a really well written story that had great historical milestones and wove the story of vampires into the fabric of the turmoil of the 19th century extraordinarily well.

Without giving away too much of the plot, vampires are hidden within the fabric of the pre-Civil War society, in some cases, working closely with living humans to help advance their vampire agenda.  Circumstances bring the poor teen-age Abraham Lincoln directly into their sights and thus is launched his vampire hunting side-job.  The story runs like a great biography of Lincoln and then weaves the parallel plot of the growing vampire influence over top.  Lincoln's development as a politician by day and his vampire hunting by night.

I especially liked how the author tied the relationship between the vampire agenda and the growing issue of slavery throughout the book.  And using Lincoln's actual speeches with the unspoken subtext of the vampire problem was a great and fun surprise.

Not everyone's cup of tea?  Sure, sure...but I got schooled on some important Lincoln milestones and have spent more hours researching Lincoln's history, family, and the Civil War then I ever have before just because my interest was poked.

Definitely recommended.  Now on to "Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter"

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